In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Oscar Huckle and Tom Law discuss the hottest news in bike tech this week. Kicking things off, the trio examine Microshift Sword – the new affordable 10-speed gravel bike groupset that could have Shimano worried: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/microshift-sword/ We also discuss the new Norco Fluid, which will be Tom’s long-term test bike for the next 12-months: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2023-norco-fluid-fs/ Finally, we examine what VanMoof’...
Jul 23, 2023•25 min
The new seventh-generation Orbea Orca has broken cover today, with senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan on the ground in Spain to get all the juicy details. In this special episode, Ash sits down with Joseba Arizaga, Orbea’s road product manager, to get the inside track on the new Orca road bike. Along the way, the pair discuss the design thinking behind the new Orca and Oquo road wheelsets, plus cover some ground on Orbea’s distinctive business model. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...
Jul 20, 2023•40 min
Tom Marvin is a mountain bike through-and-through. With over 23 years of experience riding bikes off-road, ten of which he’s spent as a writer for BikeRadar, he knows a thing or two about what goes into making a good off-road bike. All of that time spent mountain biking leaves him scratching his head whenever he swings his leg over a gravel bike. Where is the suspension and why are there two derailleurs? In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke and Liam Cahill cross-examine Tom and hi...
Jul 16, 2023•45 min
George, Simon and Liam discuss the trends dominating the 2023 edition of the Tour de France: 1x, wide tyres (and wide rims), narrow handlebars, lightweight aero bikes, TT tech and budget blow-outs. Read more about the new Factor O2 VAM: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/factor-02-vam-2023/ See all of BikeRadar’s Tour tech coverage: https://www.bikeradar.com/events/tour-de-france/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 13, 2023•56 min
SRAM GX Eagle Transmission brings the brand’s its direct-mount derailleur technology to a lower price point with simpler construction and heavier materials bringing it down to £1,180/$1,099/€1,300. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Alex Evans and Tom Law go over the key details of SRAM’s newest mountain bike groupset and share their early ride impressions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 11, 2023•28 min
Sleuthing trade shows and races for new tech is one of our favourite pastimes and 2023 has been a fruitful year for our dedicated team of eagle-eyed nerds. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Simon von Bromley and Ashley Quinlan look back at the leaks of Shimano’s new GRX gravel bike groupset and the 12-speed mechanical version of 105, outlining everything we know so far. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-105-12-speed-mechanical/ https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-grx-r...
Jul 09, 2023•39 min
George Scott and Jack Evans are joined by James Witts, author of Riding With The Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants , to find out what it takes to ride the Etape du Tour (or any other mountainous gran fondo). From training to tech, pacing to nutrition, George, Jack and James share their experiences of riding major events and how you can prepare for a gran fondo of your own. Read about Jack’s bike for the Haute Route: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/routes-and-ride...
Jul 06, 2023•50 min
In this episode of the BikeRadar podcast, recorded at River Cottage HQ in Devon, we meet celebrity chef and environmental campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. We get all on the details on Hugh’s unique custom-built River Cottage Rambler bike and meet the bike's creator Darron Coppin, of Sven Cycles. This Rambler was designed with ruggedness and durability in mind, and features electrical assistance from Shimano and a Fidlock wicker basket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...
Jul 02, 2023•29 min
George and Simon are in Bilbao for the start of the 2023 Tour de France. They’ve been touring the team hotels ahead of the Grand Départ to find four new bikes from Factor, Ridley, BMC and LOOK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 30, 2023•37 min
Spanning approximately one zillion square metres of the Messe Frankfurt’s halls Eurobike is the world’s biggest cycling trade show. The show brings together many of the world’s cycling brands, both big and small. While there is enough headline news from mainstream brands to keep BikeRadar’s merry band of content bandits very busy, there are also more new products from smaller companies than we could ever hope to cover. It’s that mountain of weird and wonderful tech that draws us back every year,...
Jun 27, 2023•31 min
From a blank slate, gravel cycling clubs, groups and communities have been springing up the world over. What role do these clubs have in the gravel cycling world, and where do we think they’re going in years to come? We chat to multi-discipline racer, photographer, community builder and YT ambassador, Sami Sauri, Hari Milburn from the local Newtown Park cycling club and our very own Robyn Furtado from the BikeRadar video team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 22, 2023•34 min
Back in March 2022, BikeRadar’s brightest minds sat down with Gary Walker – the site’s beloved sub-editor – to help him choose a new commuting bike, which would in turn become his new long-term test bike. Alongside commuting, Gary had other big riding plans for his test bike – though he’s more confident shredding fat licks on a guitar than gravelly gnar, Gary hoped to push himself to ride further than before in 2022 and beyond. After some debate, the team settled on the Ribble Hybrid AL as the p...
Jun 18, 2023•27 min
Gravel racing has certainly caused a splash over the last few years, but where is it going next? Join BikeRadar’s Deputy Editor and gravelista Jack Luke, Colorado-based podium gracer Ben Delaney and party pacer Katherine Moore as we discuss how gravel racing has evolved over recent years, and where it might be heading in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 16, 2023•46 min
Senior technical editor Warren sits down with SRAM’s lead product guys JP McCarthy and Brad Menna to get the inside story on the new gravel Apex AXS and Apex mechanical drivetrains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 15, 2023•27 min
In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, we're looking at ways to make your bike last longer. By taking care of your bike, you can make components wear out slower, saving you cash in the long run. Committed CX rider Liam and workshop genius Oscar share their thoughts and experience with tech editor Tom, someone not always overly keen on keeping his bike as fresh as it should be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 11, 2023•43 min
In this two-part podcast, we consult both our in-house gravel gurus, Warren Rossiter and Tom Marvin, as well as YT’s product development manager, Frank Dörr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 08, 2023•56 min
In this episode senior technical editor Tom Marvin talks to tech writer Nick Clark and video presenter Tom Law about the ever evolving world of XC race bikes. With courses becoming more and more technical, race bikes are getting ever more capable. We discuss this new breed of XC race bike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 04, 2023•48 min
BikeRadar’s senior technical writer, Simon von Bromley, grabs 10 minutes with Max Sciandri, Movistar Team’s sporting director, after stage 18 of the 2023 Giro d’Italia. While the riders recover in the hotel, Sciandri explains what the support staff get up to every evening during a Grand Tour, and what measures the team takes to ensure the riders can perform at their best day in, day out. Sciandri also offers insight into the team’s tech choices and tactics for the stage 20 mountain time trial. L...
Jun 02, 2023•16 min
Welcome back for another mini-series on the future of gravel. It wouldn’t be BikeRadar if we didn’t chat about shiny tech developments in the off-road, drop-bar world, but we’re also going to explore how gravel riding and racing are evolving, and as well as the role of new off-road communities. Join host Katherine Moore as we chat to fellow cycling journalist Ben Delaney, based in Colorado US, and our very own Jack Luke about the genesis of gravel and take a look into the BikeRadar crystal ball....
Jun 02, 2023•32 min
Big news in the world of road groupsets as Campagnolo launches its first wireless electronic groupset – Super Record Wireless. In the process, Campagnolo has also ditched the iconic thumb shifter. Read the rest of our Campagnolo Super Record Wireless coverage: £4,499 Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset ditches thumb shifters and rim brakes – https://www.bikeradar.com/news/campagnolo-super-record-wireless-groupset/ Read Oscar Huckle’s first ride review – https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/co...
May 30, 2023•21 min
It’s time for another Tech Q&A episode, this time focusing on road wheels and tyres. Senior technical editors Warren Rossiter and Ashley Quinlan team up with Tom Marvin to discuss rim widths, tubeless woes, tyre pressures, and how clicky your freehub should be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 28, 2023•37 min
Tom, Rob and Luke have decades of mountain biking experience between them, and so have racked up many riding regrets, near misses and situations that didn’t quite work out. In this episode, they share their biggest riding regrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 25, 2023•38 min
Senior technical editor Warren Rossiter’s been in the bike industry for decades, but now more than ever he’s finding there’s some cycling kit he’d certainly prefer to see the back of. Here, fellow senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan and BikeRadar video presenter Tom Law sit down with Warren to hash out the top seven things (we had to stop him there!) he’d rather were consigned to the history books. We cover everything from helmet covers to cycling’s enduring problem with the use of arguably u...
May 21, 2023•50 min
In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Tom Law and Simon von Bromley look back at the biggest cycling tech news from the last oh-so-busy few weeks. Among a deluge of other news, we’ve seen no fewer than three headline road bike tyre launches from Pirelli, Specialized and Vittoria. Resident tyre nerd Simon gives us the lowdown on everything we need to know about these sweet new treads. CeramicSpeed has also released a new super-fancy lube designed for super-long rides in super-bad w...
May 18, 2023•23 min
In this bumper 2023 Road Bike of the Year special, BikeRadar’s road and gravel test team of Simon von Bromley, Ashley Quinlan, Warren Rossiter and Katherine Moore, sit down to discuss the top bikes from each category. Split into Gravel, Budget Road, Women’s Road, Aero Road, Performance Road and Endurance Road, the team discuss which bikes shone in each hotly contested class and reveal this year’s winners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
May 15, 2023•1 hr
In this episode out test team of Rob Weaver, Al Evans and Tom Marvin discuss their top three bikes from the 2023 MTB Bike of the Year test, covering a total of 24 bikes, split into Trail, Enduro and eMTB categories. They discuss the pros and cons of each bike, as well as revealing the winners in each of their respective categories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 12, 2023•56 min
BikeRadar digital writer Jack Evans speaks to Jenny Graham, the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle. They discuss Jenny’s new book about her Guinness World Record-breaking ride and the story behind its title, Coffee First, Then the World. Jenny explains why she favours unsupported over supported riding and shares her ultra-endurance cycling tips. Plus, find out why she nicknamed her faithful Shand bicycle “little pig”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...
May 08, 2023•38 min
When we test a bike, it’s easy to give a nod of approval to a frame, fork, drivetrain or brake, but it’s often the finishing touches that really ‘make’ a bike. In this episode, senior technical editor Tom Marvin, digital writer Nick Clark and video presenter Tom Law pick out the components that rarely hog the limelight, but really deserve some time in the spotlight. In turn, this is an appreciation of the rarely praised product manager – the person who’s ridden test mules and studied OEM spec of...
May 05, 2023•42 min
French marque Mavic has a storied history in pro cycling. The brand is famous for its establishment of the neutral service, supporting the Tour de France (among a host of other races), and has been a near-constant presence in the bike world for decades. Recently, Mavic hit difficulties after its sale by the Amer Sports Group, followed by receivership, before an 11th-hour buy-out by the Bourrelier Group. Senior road tech editor Ashley Quinlan sits down with new co-CEO Jean-Michel Bourrelier to fi...
May 01, 2023•44 min
With several teams and riders using single-chainring setups during this year’s Spring Classics, 1x drivetrains for road bikes are back in the conversation again. With this in mind, BikeRadar’s senior technical writer, Simon von Bromley, sits down with senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan, and technical writer Oscar Huckle to discuss the potential advantages (and disadvantages) of ditching your front derailleur. They also consider whether Classified’s Powershift hub gear system could be the tec...
Apr 28, 2023•50 min
